Bearing the brunt: Peshawar worst hit by terror in 2014

By Riaz Ahmad

Known by old timers as the city of flowers, Peshawar now holds the unenviable position of being the most militancy-hit district of the province. In 2014 there were 401 incidents of terrorism, including suicide attacks, IED blasts and target killings in Peshawar district. It was followed by Hangu and Charsadda, states the confidential police report State of militancy in K-P.

Peshawar district

About 283 civilians and 73 law-enforcement personnel were killed in various attacks. At the same time, 601 civilians and 87 law-enforcement officials suffered injuries in these brutal strikes. There have been seven suicide bombings, 169 IED attacks, 65 target killings, 79 firing incidents and 19 mortar attacks among others forms of terror strikes.

Not only has the district borne the brunt of the war against terror, but Peshawar Division, which also comprises Charsadda and Nowshera, suffered 50% of all militant attacks in the province in 2014.

Attacks

In 2013, there were 405 militant attacks in Peshawar Division; a number which shot up to 508 the following year.

Also, the number of terrorist attacks in Peshawar district jumped from 291 in 2013 to 401 in 2014. The favoured modus operandi of extortionists and militants remained IEDs as 212 of these devices went off in 2014 compared to 202 in 2013.

Though suicide attacks decreased from nine in 2013 to seven last year, IED blasts, hand grenade attacks and target killing incidents rose considerably in Peshawar district.

Hangu witnessed the second highest number of terror-related incidents with 88 different attacks in 2014. This compares to 63 incidents in 2013, while Charsadda was the third worst affected in 2014 with 86 terrorists attacks. In 2013, Bannu was the second-worst hit district in 2013 followed by Charsadda with 94 attacks.

A police official told The Express Tribune there was an overall decrease in the number of large-scale bombings in Peshawar district, but IEDs planted by militants and extortionists remained a problem throughout 2014.

“Peshawar is the heart of the provincial government and is quite accessible from the Khyber Agency, Mohmand Agency, Darra Adam Khel and FR Peshawar at large,” he said. The officer added the ongoing military operation had limited the militants to some extent, but they consequently hit soft targets as was evident from the Army Public School massacre.

“I think the threat to Peshawar will continue in future,” he said, adding considerable security arrangements were required to counter the danger.